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Yum! Brands

YUM
32
Restaurants · Consumer Cyclical
Also trades as: 0QYD.L GBP 1.45 (+1.38%)
Price
$144.82
+1.82 (+1.27%)
Market Cap
$39.92B
Winston Score
32
Winston is serious
Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.
Data as of Oct 10, 2026 · filings through Jun 30, 2026

§How the score breaks down

Quality
Weak
5/30
Growth
Weak
3/20
Cash Flow
Exceptional
10/10
Stability
Mixed
3/10
Valuation
Strong
7/10
Ownership
Weak
1/15
Dividends
Good
3/5

32 of 100 counted points = Winston Score 32.

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Share count falling — buybacks

−7.9% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 302.0M (2021) → 278.0M (2025)

§Winston Score History

The full picture

Yum! Brands owns three of the most recognized fast-food chains in the world: KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. It serves everyday consumers looking for affordable, quick meals across chicken, pizza, and Mexican-style food categories. With over 55,000 locations worldwide, it is one of the largest fast-food companies on the planet.

Most of Yum!'s revenue comes from franchise fees and royalties, meaning independent operators pay Yum! to run restaurants under its brand names. This franchise-heavy model keeps costs low and generates steady income, which explains its strong operating margins above 30%. The company operates in roughly 155 countries, with significant exposure to emerging markets like China through its franchisee Yum China. The key growth driver is expanding its digital ordering and loyalty programs, which increase customer frequency, though rising competition from other fast-food chains and pressure on low-income consumers from inflation remain real risks to same-store sales growth.

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Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-100.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

-100.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

0.1%ownership

→ Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$689M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Yum! Brands's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
N/A
Data not available
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
N/A
Data not available
Return on the money invested
ROCE
14.0%
Good — 14.0% return on capital

ROIC between 5% and 15%. They earn 5 to 15 cents back per year on every dollar invested.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-17.1%
Shrinking sales (-17.1% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
-3.9%
Earnings shrinking (-3.9% YoY)

Slight earnings drop. Typical near a cyclical low.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
4/8 quarters
Earnings inconsistent quarter-to-quarter

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
148%
Turns 148% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
25.2%
Converts sales into free cash efficiently (25.2%)

Free cash flow margin above 20%. Out of every $100 in sales, more than $20 is real cash they keep.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
N/A
—
Data not available
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
7.02x
Adequate interest coverage (7.0x)

Interest coverage between 3 and 8. Profits cover interest several times over.

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
29.5x
Growth-priced — P/E 29.5

P/E above the market average. People are paying up for expected growth.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+12.3
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (29.5 → 17.2)

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Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.17%
Moderate income — 2.17% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+5.7%
Dividend growing modestly (5.7% YoY)

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